Life is make believe, fantasy given form

Creating Magic Systems

Writers of speculative fiction—whether fantasy, paranormal, superhero, or science fiction—are dealing with supernatural or hyper-scientific systems that stretch our reality and knowledge of the known.

As writers, our job is to create realities where these systems are understood by the reader and feel natural and integrated into the speculative world. A reader’s immersion requires that our systems are cohesive, logical, and well explained.

Brandon Sanderson (Elantris, Mistborn) refers to these systems, regardless of whether they are fantasy or science fiction, as “magic systems.” Both adhere to the same storytelling principles in order to bring the magic/technology to life.

He distinguishes between “soft magic” and “hard magic” and suggests that they lie on a continuum.

The far end of the soft magic continuum is full of “wonder” and has few rules. The magic users have mysterious abilities and can do whatever they wish with little limitation. Wizards and gods are good examples of characters that tend toward softer magic though they will often be subject to some rules. Rarely is someone with soft magic a main character or they’d simply wave their wands through every obstacle.

Hard magic lies on the other end of the spectrum, and here is where the rules come into play. In this case, the magic becomes an integral plot device in the story. According to Sanderson, an author’s “ability to solve problems with magic in a satisfying way for the reader depends directly on how well the reader understands the magic.”

So what does the “hard” end of the magic system need for reader understanding?

Origin – What is the source of the magic? Where did it come from? If people have different powers, why?

Simplicity – Some of the best magical systems have very little complexity but a great deal of depth. Magic users have to work to make the system fit their needs.

Limitations – What exactly can the magic do and what can’t it do? Be specific.

Flaws/weaknesses – These are the holes in the magic. What is its foil? When doesn’t it work? Is there a cost to the user?

Tools/Activators – What does the magic need to function? Does it need a special item, something ingested, an initiation, a mutation?

Early introduction – Establish the magic parameters early and foreshadow any change in abilities. Beware of adding magic just when it’s convenient (deux ex machina), especially near the end.

Remember that when crafting a magic system, the limitations and flaws are usually more interesting than the strengths (no different than crafting interesting characters). What the system can’t do is more intriguing than what it can, and it’s the system’s deficiencies that create the challenges and obstacles for the characters.

The number of rules an author employs is what slides the magic system along the continuum. But that’s not the only way soft and hard magic can be blended. Some stories will use hard magic to drive the story, but add little elements of soft magic to increase the sense of wonder.

Magic is no small matter! It will have an impact on the world, nations, cultures, governments, and religions. It will impact power hierarchies, livelihood, family, self-esteem, danger and destiny. Take some time to think about how the presence of magic impacts the overall world. The more your magic system is woven into your world-building, the more real it will feel to the reader.

An interesting and thorough post that gets everything across clearly. Magic is a very tricky balance to establish. Its really tempting to ignore some of the most interesting aspects of magic to just have it there. But to me the uniqueness and interesting aspects of a world can often come from magic’s impact on religion, culture, and more. Thanks for writing!

I so agree, D, that magic has to be integrated into the culture, religion, and other aspects of world building. How could it not have a profound impact on a society? Thanks for the comment and visit. I’m sorry for the late reply – I just back from vacation. I’ll be over soon to read and follow later this morning as I catch up on comments. 🙂

Definitely no need to get bogged down. I think in most world-building (of which magic is a part) the author must have a cohesive and consistent world/system. It will come through without having to explain every detail. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and have a great Sunday!

Well said. I definitely think Sanderson handles his magic well, particularly in regards to the limitations, preparations, and consequences. I remember one article that pointed out that the Matrix’s concept of “The One” only works because a single character has all that power, in contrast with multiple magic/power users.

It’s interesting how villains are often the most forgiven. A vampire or another type of monster can transform into smoke or appear at any moment, but the hero has to be much more circumscribed. Of course in some instances audiences still wonder “Why doesn’t the villain use that ability again?”, but it’s rarely as narrative ruining as an inconsistent set of abilities for the hero.

The distinction between hard and soft magic systems is also interesting. Most of the soft magic I can think of involve tertiary characters or races who have vast power, but also have fairly firm rules about not interfering with the conflict(s) of the protagonist, ranging from personal reasons, culture, or religious edicts. Tom Bombadil would be a great example, incredibly powerful, but thoroughly indifferent to the troubles of Middle-Earth.

Sanderson also points out that the all-powerful “soft” magic user is often a god or villian that the protagonists need to outsmart of out-maneuver. Gandalf is one good guy that had to be off doing other things so that everyone else could keep getting into trouble. There are so many ways to handle it…as long as its handled. One of the challenges as a writer is going through each scene and asking, “why doesn’t the person just use her/his power here?” For me, consistency is critical for believability. My husband doesn’t like to watch movies with me because I’m always pointing out those glitches. “If he’s so strong, why doesn’t he bust down the door? Etc.” Thanks for adding to the discussion. 🙂 Happy Writing.

Agreed. I think my preference is stories where the magic has rules, and while the audience never gets a complete explanation, there’s a solid consistency that allows the audience to make some inferences.

Exactly. Like any world building, the audience doesn’t need a lecture on the mechanics, as long as the author understands it and adheres to it. The reality is inferred through the choices, dialog, and action. So fun when it works!

Those are good tips. As a reader I like to know the characters limitations with their magic. I also expect an author to be consistent with them; or have a good explanation as to how and why they changed mid book. What I don’t care for is magical abilities changing to fit the situation.

I’m with you on that, Roseylinn. Anything that pops me out of the reality of the story is disappointing. All these rules should be invisible to the reader and the magic should just flow as if it’s real! Happy Weekend. 🙂

Whoa, you’ve got me thinking hard here, Diana. Weirdly, I was thinking about the magic in my (and all of our) “real” lives as I read your post the first time. Because, I think there’s “magic” all around us, but we just don’t know what to look for, or what the “rules” are. Now I’m re-reading the post for writing speculative fiction. As I said…you’ve got me thinking. Love all of this – thanks. xo

Oh! I like where your mind wanders, Pam. I have no idea what the magic rules are in real life, or if there are any, or if we’ll ever know! Real life seems way over on the “soft” side, …full of “wonder.” For fiction, it’s another story. Even Cinderella’s Godmother had rules 😀

Oh, good, Lisa. I’m glad you found it helpful. The more I write, the more I discover how complex this craft is – so much to learn and think about. I need checklists, and this one has come in handy. Happy Writing. 😀

Ha! Not for you, Erika – for all of us. 😀 (And I needed something quick to post!) Magic is a unique part of writing speculative fiction that other genres don’t have to deal with, and I love reminders/checklists as I world-build. The soft to hard magic continuum is just that – one end not better than the other and all with their challenges as we puzzle them together. Happy Writing!

Excellent post, Diana! Its too easy to use a little magic to make something happen in a story. Its not convincing, or satisfying for the reader. The character still has to be the main focus, and his/ her struggles along the way are what keeps me reading. If they overcome some obstacle through growth of character when they could have used magic is far more exciting to me! Having said that, I do love a bit of magic, as you know. 😊 Just think of Gandalf’s wizard battles, and Harry’s. The world would be a poorer place without them.

Great point, Ali. Character comes
first. Magic is a “plot device”that supports the character’s journey. The coolest magic is nothing without the character wielding it as part of the plot. Thanks for the great comment 🙂

Great post, Diana! I find often the rules are the most interesting part of the magic, and how the character has to figure out how to work around them. When I think about the many fantasy books I’ve read, they’ve all had rules that limited the character’s ability to get through the obstacle. Piers Anthony always had interesting rules in both his Juxtaposition series and the Xanth series. The rules in Kevin Hearne’s Iron Druid series are realistic in the context of the story, as are the ones in Jim Butcher’s Dresden series. And when you mention “magic rules” in sci-fi, I can’t help but think of Star Trek, and all those things Scottie said couldn’t be done, but managed to do anyway–talk about bending the rules 😀

Nothing wrong with bending the rules (within a framework of rules) and with the right set up by the author. It really is fun to write and to see it playing out in other books too. One of these days you have to finish your fanstasy book 🙂

A very interesting post, Diana. Though speculative fiction isn’t something I write, I totally get the rules you’re talking about and found this fascinating. I always come away with something from this blog. 🙂

Oh God you’re an author and that is your book!!! Omg omg. I’m such a dumb head to not to have noticed the name before. I’ve gone through many of your posts many many times. I just Googled you a couple of minutes ago and voila!! Omg thankss a million for liking my posts. It is such an honour. Thanks again!
From Me ☺
P.S. I’m making a mental note to read your books soon for sure! I liked your excerpt.

Thanks for the great post. I think I have elements of hard and soft magic in my story; it’s certainly not “anything goes”. What I struggle most with is keeping the difficulty of a magical act consistent throughout the plot. It’s too easy to have a character perform magical act A at one point and have it totally incapacitate them for days, then to do something similar at a different time and shrug off the effects after a momentary dizziness. Why would I do this? Because it helps so much with the plot! But no, I’m aware of temptation, and I need to come up with better plot solutions that don’t require my magic to be inconsistent.

It is really challenging, Alecia, and quite different from any reality-based writing. It’s great that you notice the inconsistency, and yes, there needs to be a way around it. I mentioned in another comment, that one of the things I have to do with most scenes is ask myself, why doesn’t the character just use magic to get out of this situation? And then, either have them use it or find a plausible reason why they don’t or can’t. It’s work!

I’ve watched the whole series, Cathleen. Twice! It’s great – every fantasy writers “Must Watch.” I love his discussion of magic systems and world-building and try to apply the principles in my own writing. 😀

I recall the theatrical cut of Superman II, where Superman kept exhibiting new, theretofore unknown powers in scene after scene. In the DVD commentary track, the producers justified this by saying, “Yeah — he’s Superman. There’s no limit to the number of powers he can keep coming out with!”

Wrong. The idea behind a character with some kind of magical abilities or superpowers is that you define the parameters of those powers, and then you have fun coming up with new and inventive permutations of them — new ways to use them. What you don’t do is “make it up as you go along,” because then the magic isn’t believable — it’s just an all-powerful contrivance that can solve any problem the author finds himself backed into, what is also known as Double Mumbo Jumbo. (Fortunately this was rectified in Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut.)

Magic has to have rules and limitations if it’s to have any meaning. Set the rules but play by them.

Thanks, Sean. There are plenty of variatons when playing with magic, but these cover the main elements of not only believable magic but interesting magic. I’m disappointed by books and movies that introduce something new in the last ten minutes that completely fixes the problem for the characters. Superman II is a perfect example of what to avoid. Super-duper “unlimited” powers are okay if they create new problems for the character when they’re used (leave him unconscious for hours or kill everyone within a certain radius). So many lovely options to make life hard in our books! 🙂

I agree, Diana. I get the same feeling from the cheap save as I do from the tired devices used in soap operas (e.g., she wasn’t really dead, she was in a rare form of coma; his twin brother was pretending to be him for years and that’s who really died, not the character you thought he was, etc.).

I think the Flash is a character who pushes the limits on new powers and yet still maintains a rule set (e.g., first it’s just speed, but later he breaks through the space-time continuum and time jumps, or he vibrates his own molecules at a fast enough rate to phase through objects, etc.).

It works if the writer has prepared the reader for his breakthroughs. Plus, in what you describe, his power enhancements are related – a natural evolution related to speed. What wouldn’t work as well would be if he suddenly developed x-ray vision just in the knick of time. 😀

Agreed, Erik. That works because it was an extension — a new but entirely logical permutation — of an established power. It wasn’t that the Flash suddenly developed a new ability, simply a new way of using an old one.

Yes, I feel this way about music, cuisine, art, movies … pretty much everything. If it’s done well, I’m in. If it isn’t, no matter how many other people may have endorsed it or raved about it, or which notable person had a hand in it … I’m just not buying it.

The same rules apply to sci-fi (hyper-science). Otto needs to have a bit of a history (which you’ve already established), things he can and can’t do, a way of being operated, and consistency. It would be interesting if he has a flaw (overheats, a sticky key, or likes to sing show tunes). Ha! Happy Writing.

Thanks so much, Eric. One of the most rigorous parts is asking with each scene, why doesn’t the character just use their power to get out of trouble/danger? A character that can turn invisible, for example, can get out of a lot of situations. The author needs a plausible reason why he chooses not to or can’t.

Thank you for the timely post. It’s useful to draw a distinction between soft and hard magic in fantasy, just as it’s useful to do so for sci-fi. One’s not necessarily better than the other, but keeping the categories in mind helps the author to be consistent, and the reader to better comprehend the world the author has created.

Exactly. Gandalf is a perfect example of soft magic with few rules (a reason he is not in scenes where major things go wrong). Harry Potter is on the hard side of magic, but the stories have soft elements. Sanderson’s magic is very rules based. You’re right that consistency is extremely important in every case. I’m glad it was timely! Happy Writing.

It’s a little different than writing about things that happen in the “real” world, Robbie, where so much is already understood and therefore can be taken for granted. But the creativity is a blast once committed to it. Thanks for stopping by!

Wise words! I find the real challenge in building a new world, whether magic or tech, is to reveal it in such a way that it isn’t a narrator’s info-dump on the reader. Lots of exposition gets boring fast, and the best way to show the way the world works is to have characters interact with it. The best stories I’ve read have introduced magic/tech subtly and naturally. 🙂

I agree. There is so much info to get out there, and info dumps are so dull. Having the character interact with the environment or use the technology/ magic is a great way to show. It’s also helpful to introduce elements of the world in context as the information is needed versus in a big “lesson” up front. I find that readers are more astute than authors give them credit, and a phrase slipped in here and there does a lot of work. Thanks for adding to the conversation 🙂

This is something you do extremely well, Diana. While there are times when dialog reveals the rules (perhaps through teaching a magical discipline to a novice or where a character explains what parts of the magic he is very good and not so great with), you also have people stumble into it, explore it, test it … sometimes with drastic consequences. It’s like “I wonder if I could …. yup! And I just killed a bunch of people in the process!”

Thanks, Adele. I just love Sanderson’s magic systems and how they enhance his stories. And yes, those flaws create all kinds of tension and obstacles for the characters. Pure fun for the readers. Happy Writing!

The world of magic is very alluring till it becomes dark and violent but I guess it has to intensify to keep the reader glued to a book. Yes, magic is no small matter as it has been growing to unimaginable proportions! Thanks for being magical Diana. Stay blessed!

Thanks for reading, Balroop. Magic doesn’t necessarily need to be dark and violent, but it needs to feel real in order to keep a reader engaged – like most elements of a book. Because it’s “fantastical” (not already understood by the reader) writers need to work a little more methodically toward that end. Have a great day and Happy Writing!

Terrific post, Diana. I had not seen Sanderson’s essay (interview, whatever) on this topic, but I have to agree. Hopefully readers new to fantasy will see this — it would be very helpful to them.
Mega hugs.

Thanks, Teagan. To readers, this should mostly be invisible, but for writers, it’s something to keep in mind. Your writing strikes me a full of “wonder” and you have a talent for making it work beautifully (by establishing the rules and subtly hiding them from the reader). That’s not easy to do. 🙂 Hugs back at you!

For me, it’s all in the writing at first. You have to be able to capture me, tie me up in my chair and don’t allow me to get up. Surprise me. I don’t want to feel that I am re-reading something that I have read before -even if it’s just bits and pieces.

Too much explanation in a fictional or “magical” book often turns me off. To me, it’s not important how the dragon egg got there, I want to know what happens next. I want to step into the unknown without looking back. I hope any of this makes sense.

I agree, Bridget. I love getting immersed in a book. Most of this techy “how-to of writing”should be invisible to a reader. If a reader notices, then the writer has some work to do. We know that Spiderman received his powers when he was bit by a spider, and that’s enough. We don’t need a biology lesson. Ha ha.

I try to work a little magic into my humor essays. I have an evil coffee maker, a kitchen cupboard filled with crockpots that goes back further than the wall and snapping turtles that sprint after deer. While I do not have a system for magic, I prefer to step just far enough over the line to give my readers a glimpse of a world beyond the rational.

I will think about a system for magic to form a foundation to build upon.

This discussion reminds me of Beauty and the Beast. Of interest, the live-action version out now addressed some of the “magical holes” from the original Disney cartoon directly, having had 26 years of hearing about them!

It was thing like the question of why the entire castle was cursed if only the prince rejected the enchantress, why no one ever came looking for missing family members, how Belle got an unconscious beast up onto her horse after the wolf attack, etc. So not all strictly magical conundrums, but related.

Right — the live-action presentation, coupled with a savvier audience now 25 years older, meant that instances of Double Mumbo Jumbo that you didn’t question in the cartoon weren’t going to fly in the new movie. I thought the screenwriters did a good job of making the new iteration more sophisticated but without losing the charm of the original — without “going dark,” as so many fairy tales do these days.

Absolutely! ‘Magic’ or ‘superpowers’ or even hugely advanced scientific civilizations have to have context and limitations. Superman without kryptonite is a very dull story.
And most importantly, don’t suddenly introduce something from outside the established context in order to save the day. That’s cheating.
🙂

Exactly, Nick. It’s the vulnerabilities, the holes in the power, that create the tension. And yes, one of the biggest mistakes is introducing a skill or power or technology out of the blue at the last minute to save the day. It can kill a book.